Progress of any type usually brings changes, sometimes in obvious ways and other times in subtle forms, but when the completion of the new bypass around Albany comes later this year or next, there will be more side roads, meaning more road names, and several areas in which residents will again see an address change to stay in line with the Enhanced 911 mapping and addressing system.

911 Mapping and Addressing coordinator Andy Davis says there will be a lot of renaming of roads on the current US 127, especially south of the Bates Delk Road toward the Tennessee line, and some on the northern section back to Hwy. 558 and beyond.

Cut-off roads and access roads to the bypass will be affected by having roadways named and road signs erected and several residents along the bypass route will have to be given a new physical address for services such as 911, the postal service, etc.

Davis said he has already begun receiving input from some residents on access and side roads that would be effected and was trying to come up with criteria on what and how to rename roads.

The process will be lengthy, with the major part of the work to be done once the bypass is completed and right now, there is no specific time line as to when that might be.

Emergency Services Director Lonnie Scott added the entire process would require considerable paper work and some costs in having to erect road signs as well as the county having additional miles of county roadways to maintain.

He said he wasn’t sure how the old US 127 route would be once the bypass is complete, noting the state could opt to keep the road that would continue to lead into and through the city of Albany.

Both Davis and Scott said there are still a majority of residents who received new addresses for the Enhanced 911 system that still haven’t “posted” that address on their property, even though they say it is important.

Posting the specific addresses helps delivery services, such as the postal service and others find a home, not to mention that the addresses show up specific locations on the 911 computer directing emergency service personnel, fire department and law enforcement to a specific location. Having the address posted in a visible location on one’s property could enable emergency personnel to identify the home more quickly.

More specifics on how the bypass project will affect naming of roads and areas affected with address changes will be released when the bypass construction is complete and fully opened to public access.